Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Do-It-Yourself: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

I'm always looking for ways to cut our grocery budget and doing things myself significantly helps in that area. So with three little ones, the next area I wanted to tackle was the dishwasher. It seems like an unrelated area, but I'm continually amazed why how many bowls and spoons we can go through in a typical day. And now bottles? Wow!

I had read several times that you could make your own dishwasher detergent, but until recently we had an older model dishwasher and I was afraid to try it. When we got a new one last fall, I determined we'd give it a try. So my DIY Project for Jan was this detergent. And it's so simple. Especially since it uses the same ingredients as my Homemade Laundry Soap.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
1 c. Washing Soda
1 c. Borax

Just mix together and store in an old yogurt container.

You can also use vinegar in your rinse compartment to reduce cloudy residue. I haven't had a problem with the residue, but as I said, this is a new experiment for us so I may notice it later.

There you have it: super easy and super economical. Hope you give it a try!